Coping with eating difficulties

Cancer of the oesophagus or stomach: coping with eating difficulties

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This video includes information on how cancer of the oesophagus or stomach can affect your ability to eat, practical tips on coping with swallowing difficulties, how texture-modified diets may help, what stents are and how they can affect eating.

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Summary of key points

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To get good nutrition and avoid losing strength, you may need to make short or long-term changes to what and how you eat.

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To make swallowing easier, you could try sitting upright whilst eating, taking small mouthfuls, eating slowly, avoiding distractions and sipping a drink between bites.

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You may need to choose foods that are easier to swallow, such as soft, mashable or crumbly foods. Breaking down chewy foods by chopping, mincing or pureeing can also help.

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Some people find that treatment with anti-cancer drugs or radiotherapy makes swallowing easier. Others need a stent (tube) fitted, to widen part of their oesophagus or stomach.

Cancer of the oesophagus or stomach: why is nutrition important?

Eating and drinking is something that we all do every day, perhaps without giving it much thought. But what we eat and drink is very important for our health. In this video, learn how cancer of the oesophagus or stomach can affect what you eat and drink, and why it matters.

Nutrition and cancer of the oesophagus or stomach: frequently asked questions

This video aims to answer some of the questions that people with cancer of the oesophagus or stomach may have about nutrition. It includes information on whether to trust online information about cancer diets, extra considerations for widely used diets such as the plant-based diet, and what it means to be a healthy weight.

This content has been developed and fully funded by Bristol Myers Squibb. Created in collaboration with healthcare professionals, and the charities Guts UK and Heartburn Cancer UK.

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Cancer of the oesophagus or stomach: why is nutrition important?

Eating and drinking is something that we all do every day, perhaps without giving it much thought. But what we eat and drink is very important for our health. In this video, learn how cancer of the oesophagus or stomach can affect what you eat and drink, and why it matters.

Nutrition and cancer of the oesophagus or stomach: frequently asked questions